A boot is a type of shoe that covers the foot and the ankle and sometimes extends up to the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearly distinguishable from the rest of the sole, even if the two are made of one piece. Traditionally, boots are made from leather or rubber, although modern boots are made from a variety of materials.
Many boots have side zippers or other means of opening and closing the leg portion to facilitate donning the boot. However, boots are typically designed in a single sized upper portion for a given shoe size, and the upper portion of a boot is generally not adjustable to the specific wearer's calf or leg. If a person's foot fits a particular boot, but the person's leg is too narrow or wide for the boot, that person will not purchase the boot and will look for another style or manufacturer.
In many instances, a boot may be form-fitting when the wearer is wearing particular clothing, but will not fit properly when the wearer is wearing other clothing. For example, if a person dons a boot while wearing nylons or stockings, the boot may fit well, but when the wearer dons the same boot wearing thick socks, the leg portion of the boot may be too tight. Alternatively, some boots allow the wearer's pants leg to fit inside the boot, while other boots fit tightly and do not allow for this.
Accordingly, there is a need for a boot which can be adjusted to a wearer's particular leg size.
Furthermore, although a boot can provide support to the ankle or lower leg, a boot having a leg portion with a fixed size is of limited utility unless the wearer happens to fit the pre-manufactured size. No matter how well the boot may fit the intended wearer, the leg portion of the boot must have a certain amount of give to permit the boot to be worn. Similarly, depending on varying stresses to which any given wearer may, over time, expose his or her lower extremities, there is a utility in being able to adjust the firmness and tension of the fit over time. For example, a boot having an adjustable fit has advantages in sports or other strenuous physical activities. Alternatively, such an adjustable-fit boot can be a fashionable article for wear.
Accordingly, there is a need for a boot that can be adjusted to the particular dimensions of a wearer's leg to provide maximal support.